"Homeland" is debuting its much-anticipated second season tonight with an all-star premiere tonight (Sept. 7) at New York City's Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum -- the new home of the Space Shuttle Enterprise. What, you didn't get the invite? Stop that Carrie Mathison ugly cry right now -- we're airing the livestream here at 6:30 p.m. ET/ 3:30 p.m. PT. Stay tuned for live interviews with "Homeland's" cast, producers and other special guests, plus exclusive clips and a sneak peek of the season premiere.

You can gauge how something is breaking through in the culture by watching the Sunday morning programs or "Saturday Night Live. " The past weekend was a watershed for "Homeland," the Showtime drama that swept the Emmys. Now "Homeland" might not burn up the ratings on a premium cable channel, but it's the show people are talking about. (If you haven't seen it, the first-season DVD contains 12 outstanding episodes.) "Saturday Night Live" this weekend provided an on-target "Homeland" sendup that spoofed the instability of Carrie Mathison ( Claire Danes )

Claire Danes is the clear favorite to win the Emmy Award on Sunday night for her performance as a traumatized veteran CIA agent in Showtime's drama "Homeland," but off-camera, she's got more important things on the mind. Danes, who is pregnant with her first child with husband Hugh Dancy, wore a bright blue dress to Showtime's 2012 Emmy Party on Saturday night before the big event. She showed off her baby bump proudly in the fitted number. Though filming for next season of "Homeland" is underway, Danes won't be pregnant on the show.

I went to see "Flight," a fine movie with Denzel Washington in one of this best performances. It's a rarity to see a movie that's so adult, personal and well done at the multiplex. Go. You'll be moved. But television has no difficulty delivering that type of fare every Sunday night. Certainly "The Walking Dead" came through in its latest episode, which had jaws dropping across America. SPOILER ALERT: Just how audacious is "The Walking Dead"? The zombie drama killed off its main female character, Lori Grimes (played by Sarah Wayne Callies )

Claire Danes won an Emmy for lead actress in a drama series Sunday for her role as psychologically troubled CIA officer Carrie Mathison on the Showtime series "Homeland. " She was the overwhelming favorite to win in a category that included last year's winner, Julianna Margulies of "The Good Wife," as well as Elisabeth Moss ("Mad Men"), Glenn Close ("Damages"), Kathy Bates ("Harry's Law") and Michelle Dockery ("Downton Abbey"). Danes, 33, first came to the attention of television audiences as angsty teenager Angela Chase in the short-lived but much-beloved 1994-1995 ABC series "My So-Called Life.

"Homeland" star Claire Danes just won a Golden Globe and is up for an Emmy Sunday (Sept. 23) for her remarkable portrayal of a CIA operative who suffers from bipolar disorder. "I had to do a lot of research for this role," the actress said Sept. 19 on NPR's Morning Edition . And she looked to a surprising source for inspiration. "I found great material on YouTube," Danes revealed. "There was a lot of footage of people who recorded themselves when they were in manic states.

These year's group of characters portrayed by Emmy-nominated leading ladies are unique -- determined, focused, eccentric, and increasingly mistresses of their own fate. And audiences can't get enough of them. "There's something seductive about characters who are powerful and manipulative and kind of opaque," says Glenn Close , who has won twice for playing lawyer Patty Hewes on DirecTV 's "Damages" and is now nominated for a fifth time for the role. "There are very few women characterized anywhere who have the power that Patty has, and she's unapologetic about it. In a way, I think it is wish-fulfillment.

Julian Fellowes " Downton Abbey " ( PBS )Episode: "Episode 7"Highlight: Lord Grantham ( Hugh Bonneville ) takes the stand in the murder trial against Bates ( Brendan Coyle ) with every intention of helping his trusted valet, only to cinch the case against him with an explosive admission about Bates' view of his late wife.Sidelight: Daisy (Sophie McShera) achieves a measure of peace regarding her guilt about William the footman by striking up a touching relationship with William's father.

I went to see "Flight," a fine movie with Denzel Washington in one of this best performances. It's a rarity to see a movie that's so adult, personal and well done at the multiplex. Go. You'll be moved. But television has no difficulty delivering that type of fare every Sunday night. Certainly "The Walking Dead" came through in its latest episode, which had jaws dropping across America. SPOILER ALERT: Just how audacious is "The Walking Dead"? The zombie drama killed off its main female character, Lori Grimes (played by Sarah Wayne Callies )

You can gauge how something is breaking through in the culture by watching the Sunday morning programs or "Saturday Night Live. " The past weekend was a watershed for "Homeland," the Showtime drama that swept the Emmys. Now "Homeland" might not burn up the ratings on a premium cable channel, but it's the show people are talking about. (If you haven't seen it, the first-season DVD contains 12 outstanding episodes.) "Saturday Night Live" this weekend provided an on-target "Homeland" sendup that spoofed the instability of Carrie Mathison ( Claire Danes )

Claire Danes is the clear favorite to win the Emmy Award on Sunday night for her performance as a traumatized veteran CIA agent in Showtime's drama "Homeland," but off-camera, she's got more important things on the mind. Danes, who is pregnant with her first child with husband Hugh Dancy, wore a bright blue dress to Showtime's 2012 Emmy Party on Saturday night before the big event. She showed off her baby bump proudly in the fitted number. Though filming for next season of "Homeland" is underway, Danes won't be pregnant on the show.

Claire Danes won an Emmy for lead actress in a drama series Sunday for her role as psychologically troubled CIA officer Carrie Mathison on the Showtime series "Homeland. " She was the overwhelming favorite to win in a category that included last year's winner, Julianna Margulies of "The Good Wife," as well as Elisabeth Moss ("Mad Men"), Glenn Close ("Damages"), Kathy Bates ("Harry's Law") and Michelle Dockery ("Downton Abbey"). Danes, 33, first came to the attention of television audiences as angsty teenager Angela Chase in the short-lived but much-beloved 1994-1995 ABC series "My So-Called Life.

"Homeland" star Claire Danes just won a Golden Globe and is up for an Emmy Sunday (Sept. 23) for her remarkable portrayal of a CIA operative who suffers from bipolar disorder. "I had to do a lot of research for this role," the actress said Sept. 19 on NPR's Morning Edition . And she looked to a surprising source for inspiration. "I found great material on YouTube," Danes revealed. "There was a lot of footage of people who recorded themselves when they were in manic states.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In a well-manicured park on a balmy North Carolina morning, Nicholas Brody is losing his cool. The American POW-turned-terrorist from the Showtime series "Homeland," played by Damian Lewis , is meeting with a representative of archterrorist Abu Nazir. With each take, Brody's resentment toward the shadowy forces manipulating him creeps upward. "And who are 'THEY' anyway?" Lewis spits, his head trembling with anger. At one point, the disgust has become so palpable that the actor himself seems to feel it: He lets go a quick but loud admonition to an assistant director who has been talking during takes.

"Homeland" is debuting its much-anticipated second season tonight with an all-star premiere tonight (Sept. 7) at New York City's Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum -- the new home of the Space Shuttle Enterprise. What, you didn't get the invite? Stop that Carrie Mathison ugly cry right now -- we're airing the livestream here at 6:30 p.m. ET/ 3:30 p.m. PT. Stay tuned for live interviews with "Homeland's" cast, producers and other special guests, plus exclusive clips and a sneak peek of the season premiere.

Julian Fellowes " Downton Abbey " ( PBS )Episode: "Episode 7"Highlight: Lord Grantham ( Hugh Bonneville ) takes the stand in the murder trial against Bates ( Brendan Coyle ) with every intention of helping his trusted valet, only to cinch the case against him with an explosive admission about Bates' view of his late wife.Sidelight: Daisy (Sophie McShera) achieves a measure of peace regarding her guilt about William the footman by striking up a touching relationship with William's father.

By Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times Television Critic, September 30, 2011

Showtime's "Homeland," which premieres Sunday, is not just the best new drama of the season (and would be, no doubt, even if the bar had been set higher than it has been this year), it's the first telling of a post- 9/11 story that is all the things it should be: politically resonant, emotionally wrenching and plain old thrilling to watch. Perhaps not surprisingly, two of its creators, executive producers Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, were forces behind Fox's "24" (a third, Gideon Raff, created the Israeli series "Prisoners of War")

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In a well-manicured park on a balmy North Carolina morning, Nicholas Brody is losing his cool. The American POW-turned-terrorist from the Showtime series "Homeland," played by Damian Lewis , is meeting with a representative of archterrorist Abu Nazir. With each take, Brody's resentment toward the shadowy forces manipulating him creeps upward. "And who are 'THEY' anyway?" Lewis spits, his head trembling with anger. At one point, the disgust has become so palpable that the actor himself seems to feel it: He lets go a quick but loud admonition to an assistant director who has been talking during takes.

These year's group of characters portrayed by Emmy-nominated leading ladies are unique -- determined, focused, eccentric, and increasingly mistresses of their own fate. And audiences can't get enough of them. "There's something seductive about characters who are powerful and manipulative and kind of opaque," says Glenn Close , who has won twice for playing lawyer Patty Hewes on DirecTV 's "Damages" and is now nominated for a fifth time for the role. "There are very few women characterized anywhere who have the power that Patty has, and she's unapologetic about it. In a way, I think it is wish-fulfillment.

By Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times Television Critic, September 30, 2011

Showtime's "Homeland," which premieres Sunday, is not just the best new drama of the season (and would be, no doubt, even if the bar had been set higher than it has been this year), it's the first telling of a post- 9/11 story that is all the things it should be: politically resonant, emotionally wrenching and plain old thrilling to watch. Perhaps not surprisingly, two of its creators, executive producers Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, were forces behind Fox's "24" (a third, Gideon Raff, created the Israeli series "Prisoners of War")